Auspicious Hibiscus

Three summers ago I spent 6 weeks in Ubud, Bali, arising each day before dawn and wending my way on the delightfully manicured grass pathways between rice paddies, to meditate and practice yoga. We had a class of about 30 people, mostly from Australia, as the teacher training course is run by an Aussie, but lots of other cool people from other cool places. In the midst of one of my barely restrained shopping frenzies, I happened upon a crocodile-wood statue of Ganesha (click his little name to read about him). Now, I should tell you that I have a pattern of behavior in regards to purchasing that is not above criticism, and is characterized by either seeing something I truly love and connect with but for unidentifiable reasons, labor over the price and the decision and end up walking away from it and hours/days/weeks/yes, even YEARS later, regretting it, OR I am seized with the notion that it must be mine and spontaneously throw down whatever sum they are asking, often without even trying it on for size (f it is a garment) and end up walking away WITH it and hours/days/weeks, yes, even YEARS later, regretting it. Go figure. The point of all this is that I bought this little statue after much encouragement from my new friends and I have loved every minute of our time together. He found a home in the newly bambooed floor of my yoga room in my new condo on Maui, and it became clear that he (and I) needed a daily adornment and anointing ritual. So I made the journey to Home Depot and bought I think 8 varieties of my favorite tropical flower, the delightful hibiscus. And every morning Ganesha and I would spend a few minutes together after I picked some of the last-for-one-day blossoms:

Doesn't he look happy? Now, the point of all this is that I planted one variety of hibiscus that has a double bloom, like that pink one in the pictureand it never bloomed. Not once. I waited three years and had actually pretty much forgotten about it. It was tucked back in the corner of the mini garden in front of my condo and I just kept picking all the other flowers around it, the peachy tangerine one, the crimson, blood red one that only showed itself a handful of times, the giant yellow ones from around the corner that grow in the lava rock that neighborhood cats confuse with a litter box, and the hundreds of powdery-scented plumerias that grow on the tree right out front.

So anyway, here I am trying to get all my belongings sorted out over the past month. What do I really need? What can I live without? When will I be back on Maui and in what capacity? What do I want? Where will it all go? I managed to get everything done, down to almost the last minute, including selling my car and getting renters in my place, stuff stored, stuff shipped home, bags packed for my current adventure (more on that later--I am in Jackson Hole and it is fabulous!) and I am headed to my clean and empty condo to sign the lease with my new tenants and... dun dun duuuunnnn!!

Yes, you guessed it. She blossomed in a huge, showy, snowy, pure, magical, delicate powerful bloom for that one day--my final day on Maui.

The past month has been one hallmarked by overindulgence in the best possible way, yes, an excess of food and drink, but more significantly I have been filling up on friends, just soaking up all the time I can with everyone, and it has proved to be the best times I have had in the 6 years I have lived here. My appreciation and gratitude for all the people I have known since I have been here has deepened far more than I had expected.

There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

Anais Nin

Clearly, I had chosen the optimal time. And all that deliberation over buying Ganesha, finding the right size bag, bringing him on the place back from Bali, making the tips to Bali, planting the hibiscus, spending that time every morning, honoring him as the remover of obstacles...why do you do it? people ask.

I just think that this is how the universe works, how it is supposed to work. When I align with my truth, I am aligned with the universal truth, I blossom, the cosmos blossoms. Reflection, recognition, reconnection.

And one big auspcious hibiscus.